Considerable research and resources have been devoted to oncology and antitumor measures including chemotherapy. While certain methods and chemical compositions have been developed which aid in inhibiting, remitting or controlling the growth of tumors, new methods and antitumor chemical compositions are needed.
The prevention and control of viral diseases is also of prime importance to man and much research has been devoted to development of antiviral measures. Certain methods and chemical compositions have been developed which aid in inhibiting, controlling or destroying viruses, but additional methods and antiviral compositions are needed.
It has been found that some natural products and organisms are potential sources for chemical molecules having useful biological activity of great diversity. Marine sponges have proved to be such a source and a number of publications have issued disclosing organic compounds derived from marine sponges including Scheuer, P. J. Ed., Marine Natural Products, Chemical and Biological Perspectives; Academic Press, New York, 1978-1983, Vol. I-V; Faulkner, D. J., Natural Products Reports 1984, 1, 551-598; 1986, 3, 1-33 & 1987, 4, 539-576; J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1985, 107, 4796-4798.
Indole compounds of marine origin have also been described in Tetrahedron Letters, 1984, 25, 5047-5048 and J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1982, 104, 3628-3635.
This present invention, utilizing sponges as a source material and supplemented by novel synthetic production methods, has provided the art with a new class of biologically active compounds and new pharmaceutical compositions useful as antitumor agents effective against specific tumors and antiviral agents.
Other advantages and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed descriptions given herein; it should be understood, however, that the detailed descriptions, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent from such descriptions.